Film

Better Off Dead... 1985

Directed by Savage Steve Holland

  • Comedy, Romance
  • 97 min
  • PG

Insanity doesn't run in the family, it gallops.

High school student Lane Meyer sinks into suicidal depression when his girlfriend dumps him for jock Roy Stalin, the high school ski racing champion. Meanwhile, he has to deal with his eccentric family, a tenacious paperboy and an obnoxious neighbor whose mother is hosting a beautiful French exchange student named Monique.

ComedyRomanceducknerdpaperboysuicidalteen comedysnow skiingaftercreditsstingerduringcreditsstingerskiinghilariousadmiringfamiliar
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  • Suicide or self-harm

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Character

Comic, unpretentious, effortless and resolved.

  • gravecomic
  • unpretentiousprestige
  • effortlessdemanding
  • resolvedopen-ended
  • classical in formformally daring

Who loves it, who doesn't

The Prestige HunterThe Prestige Hunter: loved by 5The Prestige Hunter: disliked by 15 / 1The SincereThe Sincere: loved by 44The ArchivistThe Archivist: loved by 22The IronistThe Ironist: loved by 1The Ironist: disliked by 11 / 1The FormalistThe Formalist: loved by 1The Formalist: disliked by 11 / 1The EmpathThe Empath: loved by 11The OmnivoreThe Omnivore: loved by 11The CartographerThe Cartographer: disliked by 10 / 1loved (4★+)disliked (2.5★ or less)

27 profiled raters. Loved most by The Prestige Hunters; disliked most by The Ironists.

Where do you stand?

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  • “Is John Cusack the best thing in Better Off Dead...?”

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  • “Would Better Off Dead... hit harder if it came out today rather than in 1985?”

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  • “Does it get better on a second viewing?”

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